French Antique Post Impressionist Style Harbor Seascape Painting Port of Madrague Marseille

This signed harbor scene captures the Port of Madrague de Montredon in Marseille with the lightness and movement that make Mediterranean marine paintings so irresistible. Boats gather along the water, figures animate the quay, and a bright red hull draws the eye through a palette of sea blues, warm whites, and sunlit neutrals.

The painting has a wonderfully lively surface. The brushwork feels fresh and direct, especially in the water, sails, and distant boats, giving the scene a sense of coastal life without overworking the details. It feels intimate, bright, and easy to place, but still refined enough to hold its own in a more elevated interior.

The frame is a major reason this piece feels so exquisite. Its gilded wooden surface is richly carved with layered ornament, foliate details, beaded inner trim, and a dimensional profile that turns the painting into a small decorative object in its own right. The frame gives the harbor scene a more formal, gallery-worthy finish while still keeping the coastal feeling relaxed and luminous.

About the Artist
Henri Olive des Martigues, also known as Henri Olive-Tamari, 1898–1980, was a Provençal painter, engraver, and poet whose career stretched across both regional marine painting and the Paris art world. Born in La Seyne-sur-Mer, he became closely associated with the southern coast, painting harbors, boats, quays, and coastal villages with the light and movement that define his most desirable works. In 1955, he was appointed head of the art college in Toulon, and he also exhibited abstract work at the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, one of the important postwar salons for abstraction. His works appear repeatedly in auction and art-price records, which makes him a recognizable listed artist rather than an anonymous decorative painter.

Why We Love It
The frame made us stop first. It gives the whole painting a more exquisite, jewel-like quality, with carved gilt details that make the little harbor scene feel instantly elevated.

Then the painting itself does the rest: bright water, small boats, touches of red, and that sun-washed coastal atmosphere that feels effortless without being casual. It has the pleasure of a travel memory, but in a much better form: original paint, old gilt, and a view of Marseille you can live with every day.

Key Features:

• Origin: France
• Medium: Oil on cardboard
• Period: circa 1920
• Signature: Signed by the artist
• Dimensions: 11.8" × 8.3"
• Condition: Painting in very good to excellent condition; carved gilt frame shows small chips and age-related wear. Please see photos for details.
• The piece will be shipped from Los Angeles